Child poverty promises and progress are welcome, but Programme for Government falls short

Responding to the First Minister’s Programme for Government the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland’s Early Warning System Manager, Kirsty McKechnie said:

“The Scottish government has made real progress to drive down child poverty in recent years but the one in five children still in poverty will need far more than today’s Programme for Government offers if the First Minister's mission to eradicate child poverty is to succeed.”

“Investment in social security, funded childcare and housing is working, but isn’t going far or fast enough. Existing plans to increase the Scottish child payment for babies are a positive step but will still leave the vast majority of children without any further financial support. The promise of more breakfast clubs, after school and holiday activities and further childcare expansion will all be welcomed by families, but don't yet add up to the scale of intervention needed to make serious further progress.”

Ms McKechnie continued:

“Looking ahead to the 2027/28 Budget process, it is vital we see further investment in the Scottish child payment - the Scottish government’s most powerful tool in its fight against child poverty. While the Scottish government should use all the powers at its disposal, the Westminster government must also prioritise investing in children.  Increasing UK child benefit could, for example, not only pull hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty it would support all struggling families with the cost of living.”

 
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland sent a proposed Programme for Government to every member of the Scottish Parliament. CPAG’s proposals include;

  • Extending the planned increase to Scottish child payment for babies (to £40 a week) to all eligible children, as a step toward doubling its value to at least £55 per week by 2030.
  • Commencing outstanding provisions of the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025 to enable gaps in Scottish child payment entitlement to be addressed, and to ensure the payment provides greater security for families whose earnings from work fluctuate by, for example, introducing a 12-week 'run on'.
  • Ensuring high-quality school aged childcare is available to all parents during term time and school holidays.
  • Subsidising providers to deliver short periods of free childcare to help families when support for childcare costs from universal credit is not available
  • Using public procurement and public body wage setting powers to drive improvements in the quality of work.
  • Investing in the provision of affordable social housing, to ensure all children live in safe, secure and affordable homes; and
  • Funding every school to fully remove cost pressures from families, and overcome poverty-related barriers to learning through expansion of free school meals, extension of school clothing grants, provision of devices and connectivity, and funding access to ‘rite of passage’ residentials and school trips.

Ends

For more background or interviews contact CPAG Press Office on 07816 909302. 

Notes:

  • The number of children in poverty in Scotland fell from 25% between 2020-2023 to 21% in 2022 to 2025. Across the UK as a whole 28% of children were still living in poverty across the same period. See: Department of Work and Pensions Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics, March 2026 Data Table 4.16ts.  The latest single year figure (used to measure progress against legally-binding child poverty targets) suggests that the statutory interim child poverty target to reduce child poverty to less that 18% by 2023/24 was met.  We are treating this with real caution though, given the variability of single year figures and especially as the rate jumped back to 21% in 2024/25. By looking at the time series of revised three-year figures, also published by the UK government as accredited statistics , we can see that child poverty has fallen in Scotland (and not just as a result of the way the figures have been produced). 
  • CPAG in Scotland's proposed 'Programme for Government 2026-31' can be found at https://cpag.org.uk/news/cpag-scotlands-programme-government
  • An analysis of the long term cost of child poverty to publics services and Scotland's economy can be found at IPPR Tipping the Scales, the social and economic harm of poverty in Scotland, May 2023.